Control Center has been an important part of the iPhone operating system since the release of iOS 7 in 2013. It includes buttons for accessing commonly used tools like WiFi, Bluetooth, volume control, screen brightness, focus mode, etc.
Control Center can be customized to make it easy to access all the tools you use most frequently. Below we explain how to access and customize Control Center on different iPhone models to get the most out of it:
To access Control Center on iPhone:
Before you start customizing the Control Center, you should know how to access it. Since different models have different access methods, we provide the following access methods according to iPhone models:
- For iPhone models with a Home button: iPhone 8 and earlier, and iPhone SE, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
- For iPhone models with Face ID: iPhone X and later, swipe down from the upper-right corner of the screen.
- To close Control Center, tap an empty area of the screen.
To use Control Center on iPhone:
Using the iPhone Control Center is as easy as clicking a button to stop or start a service, or long-pressing a specific widget to access additional options. Example: If you press and hold the brightness indicator, different icons will appear at the bottom to activate it: Dark Mode, Night Shift, and True Tone. Long press the flashlight icon to change the brightness.
On the other hand, additional features are included in the group that appears in the upper-left corner of the Control Center, including Airplane Mode, Phone Data, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth icons. If you press and hold on this section, two additional options will appear: AirDrop and Personal Hotspot.
If you press and hold the WiFi icon, you can select a different WiFi network. If you press and hold the Bluetooth icon, you can select another device to connect to.
To customize Control Center on iPhone:
Several options are available in Control Center by default. However, you can add new items or remove some of them and rearrange them to your liking.
To customize Control Center on your iPhone:
- Go to (Settings) Settings and select (Control Center).
- To remove an item from Control Center, click the red (-) button and select Remove.
- To add items to the Control Center, go to the More Controls section and click the green (+) button next to the item you want to add. Moves up below other Control Center items.
- Use the three rows of buttons to the right of the Control Center items to rearrange them to your liking by long-pressing the items and then dragging them to where you want them.
- The options at the top of the list appear on the left side of Control Center.
- Any changes you make are reflected directly in the Control Center. So, when changes are made, open Control Center to see the new items and the order you selected them.
Note that you cannot remove or rearrange the Internet, music, do not disturb mode, screen mirroring, brightness, and volume controls.
To disable access to Control Center from the lock screen:
By default, anyone who picks up your iPhone can access the Control Center from the Lock screen. It turns on Airplane Mode, turns off Wi-Fi, and uses other Control Center items.
However, you can prevent this by disabling access to Control Center from the lock screen. To do this, follow these steps:
- Go to the Settings app and tap on the “Face ID & Passcode” option or the “Touch ID & Passcode” option depending on which iPhone model you have.
- Enter your iPhone passcode to continue.
- In the Allow Access When Locked section, uncheck Control Center.
To disable App Control Center:
Let's say you're playing a video game on your iPhone that requires continuous scrolling, or your kids use the device to study and play. In these cases, you may want to disable access to Control Center from the app to prevent it from being opened accidentally.
The methods are as follows:
- Go to the Settings app and select Control Center.
- Disable the accessibility option in the app.
- After that, you can access the Control Center only from the Home screen or the Lock screen.